Biography

As of 2013, Edvīns Bietags is the only Latvian wrestler to win an Olympic medal. Bietags won a silver in Greco-Roman light-heavyweight at the 1936 Olympics. Coached by Estonian 1924 Olympic champion Eduard Pütsep, Bietags made his international début at the 1934 European Greco-Roman Championships and surprisingly won gold as a light-heavyweight. During his career, Bietags also competed at the 1935 and 1937-39 European Greco-Roman Championships, but failed to medal in any of those years. Domestically, Bietags won six Latvian Greco-Roman light-heavyweight titles (1930-31, 1934-35, 1938, 1940). Bietags finished his sporting career during World War II and later worked as a general laborer and wrestling coach.

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